Sarah Borst Jarvis

Zion NP I was hoping to make it back to Flagstaff in time for NAM swim & brunch extravaganza on New Year's Eve morning. But, alas, it is not happening. The husband wants to hang at his parents' house a little longer and who can blame him? So, I came up with a different plan . I am good at that. Actually, Coachie came up with a plan for me. He invited me* to go down to St. George with him for a little smashfest on the bike. Who wants to end 2011 with a bang ? Me! Me! We will be biking to one of my favorite places: Zion National Park . If you have not been, I suggest you go soon. It is a marvelous place! I am sure there will also be some swimming and running action... and I get to stay with one of my favorite girls: Colleen Soon-to-be-Ironwoman Rue! In case it is not obvious: I am excited !!! Karl graciously offered to pick me up in their way back home to Flagstaff. Although, I would not mind just staying in St. George until the half marathon at the end of January... Bu

me, Heath, Missy Today Coach M's plan called for a Timed Mile in the pool. Actually, the plan has been calling for a Timed Mile the last 2 weeks but I have not been able to get my act together. Swimming (i.e. getting to the pool when it is actually open) without Karl around has been a struggle to say the least. But, alas, he rolled into town last night and I have no more excuses! Fortunately, Coach M knows (most of) my many weaknesses and suggested that Heath could pace me for the mile. A pacer ? For me? Yes please! I love being in the same city as HT training! (Although I still hate how traveling messes up everything!) In case you don't know Coach Heath - he is an amazing swimmer! At Ironman CDA this year he exited the water in 2nd overall and in front of world champion Craig Alexander. So, needless to say, he could swim circles around me. Since that would not be very fun for either of us, he instead put on some ankle bands to slow himself down. Have you ever tried to

I don't really like the word 'hero'. Especially not relating to the world of sports. But I will take this definition of the word: hero : someone of distinguished courage or ability ; admired for his/her brave deeds and noble qualities. I know quite a few people that I admire for these qualities and one of them is Chrissie Wellington ! There are many athletes that I find intriguing and look up to but Chrissie is more than that. From all I have read, heard, and seen: she is the most inspiring athlete I know. I wanna be (just a little more) like her when I grow up. I am not talking about her breath-taking speed or incredible physique - although I would not mind that either! I am simply amazed by her mental fortitude , her burning will to succeed, her ability to overcome self-doubt, her obvious joy and passion for life and triathlon, and her strong desire to be a great role-model . I have the utmost respect for this amazing woman and am thrilled to see her at the top o

Flagstaff this morning (My friend, Erin, took this picture this morning. View from her house. Since I basically live down the street, I figured I could snatch her picture and post it here. Karl took our camera...) Today they called a snow day . Actually, they called it last night already. School cancelled. Boys home all day. We had a great time enjoying the fresh powder, sledding, baking, and playing. I also managed to convince them to come to the gym with me in the morning and to the pool at night. Because they are such good sports, I let them do some more (!) sledding after my swim. It was past their bedtime, my hair was wet, and we had yet to have dinner. But they just could not pass up the awesome jumps some college students had built! They passed out as soon as their cute little heads hit the pillow. And I am about to do the same... I don't think I can handle 2 snow days in a row without Karl around, so I am praying for school to be in session tomorrow! Besides, I have an

Since nobody wants to read (or write) another post about how I am losing it over here, I figured I would just give you my motto for this week: I don't need easy. I just need possible. As you may know, this is a quote by Bethany Hamilton in the movie Soul Surfer . I admire that girl. What an inspiration! It certainly has not been easy without KJ as my companion. 7 days down. 11 more to go. So far so good. The boys and I have had our ups and downs but, I am happy to report, we are safe and (mostly) sound. I am able to squeeze in the training and have logged almost 16 hours this week so far. With another 3 tomorrow, I should be fine. Remember? Training to me is therapy . If my life is out of order, chaotic and hectic, I love getting on the spin bike and staring at the wall for 2 hours. Time to think. Time to refocus. Time to enjoy being in control of at least one thing: this workout. A run in the snow under bright blue skies in 25 degrees does the trick as well. Or a hardcore

picture me here instead of Max This is what I was going to tell you about 3 weeks ago: I am losing my mind because I love to travel but I really don't like it. I like my routine and I like having a plan. Both go out the window when I travel and it makes me nervous. I told Karl Sunday night that I was feeling somewhat stressed about taking the kids to Utah by myself. Ironically, that proved to be the easy part. We noticed our car shaking when breaking at high speed and figured it could easily be fixed by rotating the tires. Or something like that. Wrong! When Karl called the shop they told us we would most likely need to replace the rotors and break pads. It would cost around $250 and we could bring it in tomorrow. What?!? I don't have time or money for that! Needless to say that I was feeling a little more stressed... Noah was due for his flu shot Monday afternoon. Nothing like taking two healthy children to the doctor and waiting for 45 minutes for a tiny little shot! Th

(post written on Thursday but finished on Friday because author fell asleep) Well. This picture gives it away. Today was a double swim day! Yippee! Believe it or not, it was self-imposed . Coach M asked for a swim where I don't just blindly follow the guys in my lane but actually pay attention to the clock. She also asked for 10*100 on 1:35. Now that should be doable, right? There are plenty of people I know and compete with and beat out of the water in a race that can swim 10*100 on 1:30. What is my problem? Well. Let me come up with 3 excuses : 1. I am talking meters not yards. 2. It's long-course. 3. We live at 7,000 ft and I am having a hard time breathing just sitting here. So I am basically hoping that the 1:30 people are swimming short-course yards at a lower elevation. If they are not, then I am in serious trouble ... I chose to swim Masters in the morning because... Now I can't even remember why... Oh. Yes. Because Karl is leaving town on Saturday and I am afraid

... that I don't run in less than 30 degrees! Unless the sun is in full force. Or something. An early Saturday morning trail run in Provo Canyon with great company including KJ*? Sounded like a fantastic idea until it was time to get out of bed. I don't mind waking up early but I made the mistake to check the current air temperature . 24 . I did not think it was too bad until KJ reminded me that there is always wind in the canyon. And the sun won't be up for at least half the run. Suddenly, my bed was feeling extremely comfortable and warm... I have decided for myself that I just don't like the cold. Extreme cold = No fun Not sure why have turned into a wuss over the last few years but ... I have. Glad to say that we did, indeed, drag ourselves out of bed and enjoyed all Saturday morning had to offer: Snow-covered peaks New friends Good conversations Bright blue skies Fun trails Except for maybe one little episode of me whining because I still had not warmed up

Before filling you in on why I am very close to losing my sanity, I thought I would write something positive. That is, after all, my motto these days: Relentlessly Positive . It's been difficult, to say the least. The good news is that we made it to Utah and had a wonderful time! So excited for my good friend and BYU roommate Courtney to get married to a great man. What a fantastic excuse to get the Cherry Chubs (and then some) together for a weekend of fun! I got into town late Wednesday night, slept some, trained some, dumped the kids on my wonderful in-laws, and spent all of Thursday with my girlfriends . I was not kidding about the all-day Bachelorette Party. Just the break I needed! We played all day on Friday and then went to Courtney and Roger's Party at night. It was very casual and so fun! On Saturday, the beautiful couple was sealed in the Temple for Time and all Eternity. I am very blessed to be able to call this wonderful lady one of my best friends. Sometime

(Has it really been 10 days? Yikes. I have been a slacker ... Rip me out of my routine and throw me in a car for 10 hours with 2 little guys, and I will surely end up a mess . Add a 3-day wedding and a stomach bug , and I am barely able to function. Let alone write a blog post that makes sense. So I dug up a review I wrote for the RMR&T magazine back in September. I have been meaning to edit it and make it more fun before I post it here but it is not happening tonight because somehow I need to drag myself out of bed tomorrow morning at 5 am and ride my bike on the deck before the in-laws and kids wake up. Can't wait for Karl to arrive tomorrow night...) Also referred to as a swimskin, a speedsuit is a thin outer garment that can be worn in non-wetsuit races. It fits over your triathlon outfit, provides hydrodynamic advantage and buoyancy, and significantly reduces drag. When wetsuits are not legal in races because the water temperature is too high, a speedsuit is your bes

Miss my Alpine Loop so much! Nothing like a weekend all to myself ! Ok. It is not all weekend but I take what I can get. Seeing how I am taking the kids up to Provo on Wednesday for Courtney's wedding * and Karl may or may not join us for Thanksgiving, I suggested he could take them on a little camp-out this weekend. Did I mention that Karl is leaving for New Zealand and Fiji at the very beginning of December and won't be back until Christmas ? Yeah. I so deserve this break! (* Picture me jumping up and down with excitement. Can't wait for a little Cherry Chub reunion! Bachelorette Party that starts at 11am and goes all day? Count me in!) As the good wife that I am, I should've stayed home Friday morning and gotten things ready for their camp out... Well. I decided to go swimming instead. There might be no school or NAU or library on Veteran's Day but there is always Masters. Thank you, Coach Liz! Came home to delicious French Toast and kids playing happily. So I

Noah ready to roll There is not a whole lot of interesting stuff going on these days. Base training does not usually make for very good stories. Add snow and freezing temperatures to that, and you've got a bunch of rather boring treadmill runs and trainer rides. Today's highlights consisted of a) running next to a whole bunch of McMillan Elite Team members that are shooting to qualify for the Olympics. Talk about inspiration ! Except that I was not allowed to get my HR above 145... b) picking Max and later Noah up from school on bikes . 35 degrees, snowy roads, wind. We decided that on top of boots, winter jacket, gloves, and balaclava we also need to wear ski goggles . There is no such thing as bad weather! At least that's what I try to tell myself... c) I am slowly making progress in the strength department. Remember this post ? I am not such a big wimp anymore. Just a little wimp. Considering my bulging arm muscles* and the fact that Karl currently weighs 149 pound

(This picture has nothing to do with my post. But it is just so incredibly cute.) ... off-season is officially over ! How did that happen so fast ? I was just getting really into doing-whatever-I-feel-like and enjoying myself immensely, when I got an email from TrainingPeaks telling me the plan for this week! Yikes! So I hurried and squeezed in a mountain bike ride on Monday and, since the first one was so fun, another one on Wednesday. Not exactly what the plan called for but I am a fan of cross-training in the winter. On Tuesday, an hour before the TRF track workout, I frantically called Coach M to have her tell me (again) why I am banned from the track now. She did not answer her phone. I was about to give into temptation... Good thing I have 2 coaches. HT was available and gave me a lengthy explanation of why I am not supposed to do a hard track session during heart rate training. Don't ask me to reiterate what he said but he did indeed convince me to stay away. I went to

No. Although tempting, I will not name my next daughter Eve Altra. I just wanted to show you my new favorite shoes . I fell in love with them back in February, when I saw them on Leslie's feet. Right away I knew I needed a pair. But they were not for sale yet. Leslie just happens to be married to one of the founders of Altra . How convenient! I was hoping to get my hands on a pair by Christmas but Karl surprised me with a pair of Eves on my birthday! Yay! I am not a minimalist runner. I do have some shoes that are zeroed-out and a pair of Intuitions but I only wear them on rather short runs. I like the idea but I am very cautious and not a fan of change. Some day... Maybe... I love to wear my Eves to the gym . Boot camp, plyometrics, weight training, core synergistics, body sculpt, elliptical... Pretty much everything but cycling and running. I hate socks and shoes. In the spring/summer/fall I wear flip flops , in the winter I wear cozy boots without socks. To the gym I wea

Well, clearly not the head or hand position John would like to see. Just a little 'photo shoot' though, so I hope in 'real life' I can do better than that. Flip turns have never been my forte. Ok. I'll admit: The whole swimming thing is not my forte these days. It never has been. Why not? My form sucks. I get cold. Chatting with friends is impossible. Chlorine gives me a headache. The scenery leaves much to be desired. As I have mentioned before, I grew up swimming. Hard to believe. I joined the local German swim club when I was 6 and swam a few times a week until I was 12. Then I was banned from the pool for a year because of health issues. I think that is when the trouble began. My younger sister had always been a fish and that year she got really good and I've been chasing her ever since. She maybe swims once a week these days but I am positive that she could still out-swim me any day. Who wants to get beat by her younger sister as a teenager? Not me!

It is October ! My favorite month is filled with fun : my birthday, colorful leaves, clear blue skies, Noah's birthday, perfect temperatures, fantastic bike rides, trail runs, pumpkins, fall festivals, and Halloween! Not knowing what to make for dinner last night, I decided to make desert instead. Healthy desert, of course. And since it is October, it had to involve pureed pumpkin . I decided on pumpkin cobbler - without the crust. It was taking way too long in the oven, so... I decided to go swimming . The boys went to Karate . I took a long hot shower. Saw my friend, Jennifer, at the pool. We talked for like an hour. By the time I got home, the kids were asleep and I was starving ! So I skipped dinner (not always a fan of leftovers) and had pumpkin cobbler with banana and yogurt. Repeat once. Repeat twice. Yumminess ! Guess what I had for breakfast this morning? More pumpkin cobbler, banana, and yogurt! Because - why not? Then I hopped on my bike for another shot at trying-

In the picture above I am about to take a yummy treat out of my bento box. Hurray for good nutrition ! I realize that just because I did not have any issues in Vegas does not mean this is always going to work. But for now I have it somewhat figured out and so I want to write it down and remember for next season. And maybe give you some ideas. Only problem: I am already forgetting ... I shouldn't have postponed this post for so long... Starting on Thursday, I put even more emphasis on staying hydrated . In addition to drinking plain water, I took a couple of electrolyte capsules a day. Not a fan of taking pills but I do as Coach says. I prefer MetaSalt because each pill is loaded with the good stuff and that means less pill-swallowing for me. I also loaded up on electrolyte tablets . Can't have enough of those. Drinking plain water gets old sometimes and I like to spice up my drink with these little fizzies. I would drink a bottle of plain water, then reward myself with a bottl